Revival
by WildJayAppears
Summary: It's been two years since the secret got out, Kotoro has been arrested and Franchouchou split up. For Tae Yamada, it's been trying to make best with the scenario after awakening from a slap in the face a week after the split. But two years after the split, maybe it's time for Franchouchou to be it's own Zombie and rise again and Tae must prove to herself that she truly is a legend.
1. The Gamer Zombie of SAGA

I mashed the buttons on my controller in rapid succession, before leaning back, "dang it, good game man," I spoke into the headset. The chat on the side monitor kept buzzing. Two thousand people were watching me play against subscribers.

"Alright, just remember that once you've fought me please leave the arena so we can get the most people in here as possible and DrunkFrankenstein, thank you for the twenty dollar donation! He says 'hey Tae, been a fan since before the news broke about you being a zombie, any chance you are going to visit Hawaii for a convention? I'm in the U.S. Navy and transferred to Pearl Harbor from Yokuska a few months ago'," I shook my head, "unfortunately, I'm not sure. I'd love to but I'm still in the process of trying to get my dual citizenship back because technically, I am on record as deceased but if I could I'd love too. I'm really surprised though, that long? Thank you for the support my guy!"

I fought a few more people before I yawned as another super chat came though, "can I sing something from Franchouchou? Haha, sorry. I don't really remember anything cause I wasn't uh, awakened, as they put it," a few seconds later, another message came up, "take off your head? Tell you what, I'll do a headless stream another day, okay?"

The chat exploded. It was hard to keep up with the messages. It wasn't much longer before I ended stream. I sighed. It was hard, getting back into the swing of things. Posting a video confirming I was undead after what happened. Accepting the reality that my family disowned my was harder.

"Not our daughter!" My mother had said in English rather than her native Japanese. My father would try to reach out in short bursts but was eventually cut off by either deployment in the Navy or my mother.

People trying to kill me also became an issue. Zombie movies usually dictated people's opinions on me. Granted, a few things made it softer. That TV show IZombie, the movie Warm Bodies, people were accepting my existence more and more online.

Locally though, it was a bit different of a story. Apparently I was a member of a local idol group before awakening. Then the secret broke, the manager was arrested, the group split and I somehow wound up waking up after a Yuugiri slap in public.

not long after I somehow ended up helping a Police Officer with translating a lost pair of fearful tourists. He was actually pretty helpful, practically security for Yuugiri and I. I stood up, the chair behind me sliding back.

Food. I needed it. I pulled out my phone and textured Yugiri and Police Officer Ken, "going to the grocery store, either of you need anything?"

I grabbed my coat and shoes before checking for the replies.

Yuugiri wanted tea and coffee for Ken. I put it away before leaving the house...mansion...place. The Japanese Government left it in the care of the group after the manager was arrested as a sort of pity gift to his "victims".

Yuugiri stayed with me until I awoke. She was from long ago so her knowledge of the current world was small. The streets of Saga were empty as I made my way to the small store. The store itself was nearly empty as I walked in. The cashier bowed as I entered before stiffening, "ah! Miss Yamada! What brings you out so late?"

I struggled with my Japanese in reply, "hungry. Not much food at home."

"I see miss, well I'm afraid we don't have any brains out for..."

I walked down the aisle, grabbing a few frozen items before heading back to the counter and pulling out my debit card. I got a nervous smile as the silent transaction went through. I didn't bother wearing makeup most days. So my Zombie face usually was an in real life social deterrent. Online, people loved it. A fascination. I looked at the sky. Maybe I would take a walk later. The rest of the night went uneventfuly. Matter of fact, that was the whole week. It wasn't until I was in the game store a week and a half later that something broke my normal routine.

I was browsing the games to play when the bell went off. An excited amount of footsteps came in as I kept my hood up on my sweatshirt. I didn't need some kid obsessed with Call of Duty trying to think he was somehow still playing the game and knock my head off again. I picked up an older Xbox game before walking to the front counter when a young girl ran right in front of me. I tripped over my own feet, slamming down on my tail bone, "ow!"

"HEY! Watch where you're going!" an bossy voice called out. I got up to see a blonde run over, "you should look where you're going next...wait a sec..."

The red and green in her otherwise blonde hair swayed as she placed her fists on her hips and bent over, looking me in the eye. I gulped nervously.

"Oh great. Yuugiri must have lost track of you. Geez, even after the group breaks up I still have the responsibilities as leader. Who am I kidding, you probably can't even understand a word I'm saying, huh Tae?"

I tilted my head, "uh, do I know you?"

She blinked. Realization slowly dawned on her face until she scrambled back almost knocking a display over, "HOLY CRAP, YOU AWAKENED!?"

I got up on my feet, "uh, yeah, and who are you again?"

The woman blinked, "wait, you don't remember anything from Franchouchou, do you?"

"Were you a fan or something?" I scratched my head.

"NO DUMBASS, I WAS IN THE GROUP WITH YOU!" she yelled. A few people turned towards us and I instinctively pulled my hood tighter.

I scooped up the game I had been carrying, "oh. Uh, nice to formally meet you when I'm not a brainless mess then?"

She came up and slugged me in the shoulder, knocking my arm to the floor, "so what have you been up to huh? I haven't seen any of my idol girls since the split!"

This girl was a hassle. I sighed, "well, I live with Yuugiri at the house that that Kotoro guy housed us in. She's going to college and works part time and I'm a video game streamer on the internet."

"Wait, you? An internet person? BWAHAHAHAHA!" Saki busted up laughing, "oh man! That's rich!"

My face remained the same, unenthused. This girl was Franchouchou's leader? I sighed again, "look, it was nice meeting you but I gotta get going."

"Ah, come on, now that you're awakened you aren't trying be as clingy or something? Tell you what," she dug into her pocket and pulled out a small businesses card, "I run a motorcycle shop a few kilometers south of here. You and Yuugiri should come by sometime. I kinda miss Franchouchou. I thought I was the only one left in Saga."

I flipped the card over and took a few seconds, "Franvroomvroom? Really?"

She waved a hand, "kinda genius don't ya think? Gotta cash in on the name somehow!"

I laughed nervously. Yuugiri may be surprised a little but it wasn't gonna be anything life changing. Saki eventually took off with a trio of girls as I heard the motorcycles rev up and drive off before I finished my purchases and headed home.

* * *

**Author's note: **So this is a story I've been playing with for about six months now and I finally decided to try and hastily write and post it before I could talk myself out of it. This is set about two years after the Zombie secret is leaked and goes public. I decided to choose Tae as the main character because well...She is not awakened in the show and her legend isn't revealed so it's kinda able to play with at the moment. Anyways, I hope you got to enjoy it a little and the next chapter will be longer. See ya! -Jay


	2. Reconnecting in SAGA

I swore under my undead breath as I picked myself up off the hardware floor again. I looked down at my ankle to see my foot was rotated 180° in the wrong way. I forced myself to look away as I twisted it back into position with minor pain.

Sure, I was fine with taking off my head. It made for some pretty good one liners and didn't bother me but for some reason, my body parts in weird positions like that was just...ugh.

Yeah, I know right? I'm a Zombie and I get grossed out when I'm literally a bunch of dead meat on bones that is somehow magically alive but one of my bones gets twisted and I get disturbed.

Makes total sense.

I stood up and shook the limb a bit to make sure it wouldn't fall out. It was always that one turn. I walked over to the CD player and turned it off as Yuugiri knocked on the door, "Lady Tae, I am on my way to the education center, do you need anything?"

"Not falling on this stupid pivot would be nice," I grumbled in English.

"Japanese please."

"I'm fine, thank you."

She noticed the stereo, "are you trying to remember FranChouChou?"

I grabbed the towel from the nearby chair, "nope. I'm just trying to stay active. Figured I'd try to come up with something."

She smiled, "I would not mind seeing your efforts. As a Courtesan..." she stopped as she noticed my face twitch, "as an entertainer to the court and a former member of FranChouChou, dance is of great interest to me. Yesterday I learned of a man named Michael Jackson who invented a dance called the 'Moonwalk'."

I stood blankly, "two years and this is the first time you've heard of Michael Jackson? Seriously?"

"Yes. Was he popular?"

I nodded, "remind me to show you the music video for 'Thriller' later."

Yuugiri motioned for me to proceed and I exhaled a few times to hype myself up. I clicked play and waited for the intro. Two minutes went by before I fell on the pivot again. I slammed my fist against the floor before dropping more than a few F-bombs. Yuugiri rose to help me to my feet, "I may not understand much English but I do know that word is called profanity."

I raked my hands through my hair, "yeah, I just...every time...it's always that turn."

"Adjust it until you can make it. But don't over do it. You seem to be very fluid yet tense when you're moving. You need to relax more," she looked me up and down, "if only the others could see you now. You would have fit right in."

I looked upwards, "well I did meet that Saki person yesterday at the game store. She seemed...different."

It was like a twinkle returned to her soft yet dead eyes, "Lady Saki? She is still here in Saga?"

I folded an arm over my head, "I got her business card. She runs a motorcycle shop a few kilometers from tow..." I trailed off as I saw her hand start to come up in a slapping motion. I quickly dropped and bounced up as she swung and missed, "hey! What's the matter with you!"

"You will invite Lady Saki to dinner tonight! No excuses!"

"WHAT!? I don't know her! You know her! You invite her!"

She glanced at the clock on the wall before turning, "enough of your poor attitude. I have to attend class. I have to learn about something called 'the Atomic Bomb'," she began gracefully leaving the room, "if you do not call Lady Saki I will be forced to take measures. I will serve dinner at eight tonight. I have class until late."

I waited for her to leave the house before pulling out the business card. I carefully pressed the digits and waited for her to pick up, "Saki Nikkaido of Franvroomvroom, how can I help you today?"

"Um, hello?"

She sounded like a normal call center person, "hello, too whom am I speaking with?"

"Its Tae. Tae Yamada."

Her vocal inflection changed in a second, "hey! I didn't expect to hear from you so soon! What's up!?"

I tapped the kitchen counter nervously, "Yuugiri wanted me to invite you to dinner tonight at eight."

I heard her go over some papers before hollering to some other person, "hey, don't wait up for me tonight, I'm going to the old house and having dinner with a few of the other girls...yeah I have my key. You don't have to mother me, I'm still as old as you!...whatever!...we both know there is no way in hell I'm gonna...shut up!" she focused back me, "yeah, I'll be there! Sorry about all the background noise."

"It's fine. Anyway, see you tonight I guess?"

"You bet! See ya!" with one final remark the line went dead and I let out a groan. This was definitely going to be an intriguing night.

I checked my phone for the time and mentally prepared myself to stream.

"And with that being said, I will see you all next time, see ya!" I hit the end broadcast button and leaned back in my chair. It wasn't the greatest. Then again, when was it ever. I lost a lot from dying and then having to rebuild was hard. I was at the peak.

I rubbed my joints, I felt the pain in them occasionally. At least it let me know I was alive. I pulled out my phone to send a thank you tweet for the people who came out to the stream. I didn't bother reading the replies. There were some bad apples. I yawned and grabbed my jacket. I didn't even bother with make-up again. I wasn't in the mood to get all dressed up. I locked the door behind me and went for a walk.

Zombies. At first the world recoiled. Everyone thought that a few movies made them an expert. Some expected some great spread but once the U.N. announced we were harmless just reanimated somehow, people went from pitchforks and torches to unnerved and uneasy. We weren't fully embraced but we were given the right to carry on as if our lives hadn't ended. Well, all save me.

Rain poured down on the precinct as I pulled my hood over my head. I gave a nod to Ken as he passed by on his bike. The park was nearly deserted only a mother and her child were still playing in rain gear. I smiled.

Being dead meant any path like that was gone. I couldn't have kids.

At least I wouldn't be like my mother.

I pulled out my phone and checked a few things before I felt a tug on my pant leg, "mommy! Mommy! Number 0!"

The mother jumped up and ran over, "oh my gosh!"

I prepared for the recoil, the mother pulling the daughter away and reprimanding my existence. Scolding me for showing my dead face in public.

Instead the reaction I got was quite different, "oh-em-gee! You are Number 0! I am a huge FranChouChou fan!" she grabbed my free hand with both of hers and shook it, "I thought you all left Saga like Junko, Ai, Sakura and Lilly!"

A franchouchou fan? In person?

Awkward-introvert-forced-to-socialize-with-strangers more activated, "oh, uh a few of us are still around, but we don't sing anymore and I don't even remember the group."

"My grandma said your head came off during one of your first performances! Is that true?"

I shrugged nervously, "I wouldn't know. But probably."

The mom was beaming along with the daughter, "so what do you do now that your aren't an idol?"

"I play video games on YouTube. Like I did before I died."

"Oh! I never understood watching someone play a video game, my husband does though! Anyway, why are you out in the rain?"

Did I need to give every personal detail to this girl? "I'm killing time. Call it Cabin Fever."

"Mommy, are vampires real too?"

We both looked at each other, "I kinda wish I was a Vampire and not a Zombie, this happened cause I didn't eat my..."

"She's joking dear!" The mom cut me off before she leaned in, "she said she wants to be a Zombie when she can sing with FranChouChou."

We weren't even a group anymore! But this little girl had a dream to sing with us. I didn't want to crush her dreams, "that's sweet."

The mom stood up, "well anyways I have to get her inside before she catches a cold, hopefully maybe next time you can sign my CD!"

I waved goodbye to the pair, wondering what exactly just happened. I had avoided listening to FranChouChou since I had awaken because I didn't feel any connection to it. I sat there on the park bench as the music started to play.

"Dang this beat is killer."

I got home with not much time to spare as less than ten minutes after getting home and drying off, there was a knock at the door. I looked through the peephole and saw someone standing there. I couldn't see their face, just the white hair.

"Hello? Saki? Yuugiri? Is anyone there?"

"State your business!" I barked from the other side of the door.

The person took a nervous step back, "I...I'm...I'm an old member of the group they were in..."

I quickly placed the chain in the door before flipping the deadbolt and opening it ajar. Thankfully, the chain didn't rip out of the wall this time. I looked through the door and gave a look over the short girl standing there. It was obvious she was a Zombie. From the pictures Yuugiri showed me while trying to jog my memory, her name was Junko.

She jumped as she looked at me. It took her a second to try and find her voice, "uh, hey Tae, is Yuugiri or Saki here?"

I looked her dead in the eye, "no, Yuugiri isn't here right now and Saki lives somewhere else. You're Junko right?"

Her jaw nearly fell off, "wait, you're awakened?!"

"Yeah. Not long after everyone went their separate ways speaking of which, what are you doing here? Yuugiri said you went back to your solo career."

She looked at her feet, "I'm trying to hide from my manager. Can I come inside?"

I shut the door and undid the chain before stepping aside, "come on in. Sorry the place isn't the greatest. Yuugiri has had a lot of homework and I usually stay in my room."

Junko looked around in awe. Everything must have been different from when she was last here. She seemed rather frightened. She sent a quick glance over at me as I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text, "you're not telling my manager I'm here, are you?"

"No. I was texting Yuugiri that you're here. Dinner plans and such. I actually met Saki for the first time yesterday," I wandered into the kitchen before grabbing the pocky from the cabinet before walking back I to the room and sitting down. I was a little hungry and when a Zombie gets hungry, you better feed that Zombie.

I bit the top off of one of them when Junko sat down next to me. She had her hands in her lap. It was obvious she was stressed. I leaned the box towards her and she carefully took one, "relax, it's not like I could poison you if I wanted to. We're both Zombies after all."

"It's just with everything going on and..." she started speaking faster and I had to put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey, I can't translate that fast yet. English is my primary language."

She blinked, "you don't sound British."

I shook my head, "Japanese-American. Father is too. My mother is Japanese. So Japanese is my second language since my mother had been trying to teach me. It's gotten better since Yuugiri has been helping."

"Oh. I was saying how abusive my manager is. He thinks he can do whatever he wants because I'm a Zombie and therefore have no rights. Honestly I planned to come down here for months. I had to sound like I hated this place. It's likely the last place they'd look for me."

I rolled my eyes. Logically to me, this would be first. Her attire was still as if she was still on stage. She must have run off after an event. She seemed out of place considering I was wearing a long sleeve shirt and sweat pants. I pulled out my phone and opened up Google before typing her name in.

JAPANESE ZOMBIE POP IDOL MISSING FOLLOWING PERFORMANCE

"Hey, do you have social media? You might want to let people know you're okay," I showed the screen to her.

She nodded, "I'm not entirely sure how it works. I don't use it other than to message a few people who work with me," as he pulled out her phone and began to open Twitter. She quickly tweeted out a vaguely reassuring message before looking at her DM's, "Sakura messaged me. She's asking if I'm okay."

I stretched, "no matter how many people treat you like garbage, more often than not there is gonna be twice as many to care about you and pick you back up. Take it from someone who knows first hand."

"It's so strange. I didn't think you would have awakened. I've only had contact with Sakura and Air because we're in the same field and we see each other at award ceremonies and festivals. I did see Lilly a few times too. What about you?"

I laughed, "other than Yuugiri I've only met you and Saki. Insult to injury I met Saki yesterday like I said," I was a little embarrassed. Most of the others had limited contact but Yuugiri and I must have been isolated. Not to mention, their first impression of me was unawakened Tae. Not a great impression after seeing the Tori commercial. It was a disadvantage. I was just getting to know them.

Junko looked away, "I see. Do you think it'd be okay for me to stay here tonight?"

I shrugged, "I don't see why not. Technically speaking this is your house too. Yuugiri will be back later and Saki is visiting for dinner. So that makes four of us."

Junko calmed down a little more, "it'll be nice to see Saki and Yuugiri again."

"She may slap you, just a heads up. I'm more worried about her attitude towards me cause she said she had to learn about the Atomic Bomb today."

The older idol bore a look of confusion as she gave a nervous chuckle. At least this couldn't get anymore awkward.

Then the doorbell rang.

* * *

Author's note: All right. So I know it's rough but after roughly planning out the direction of the group, I can actually get the ball rolling since some of you obviously like it. It's been awhile since I actually sat down and wrote out chapters but I feel a little better about this one, just trying g to get Tae to show that she is talented other than video games and i do plan on having her past come up more later including how she died. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this, it really does mean a lot! See you in Chapter 3 next month! -Jay


	3. Reunion in SAGA

Junko and I immediately looked towards the door. It was a few seconds before the person on the other side started pounding on the door itself, "geez! You gonna let me in or what?"

We both exhaled a sigh of relief. I knew that voice from the Game Store. Saki. I stood up and shuffled to the door before opening it up, "hey, uh, welcome. Come on in."

Without breaking a sweat she immediately kicked off her shoes, "sorry I'm early. I got excited. Couldn't wait! Hard to stomach that it's just us three in Saga these days."

I made a mental note of the two bags at her sides, "you didn't have to buy anything, Yugiri might get mad."

She waved a hand, "relax, I just got some garlic bread and some popcorn."

I did a double take and saw the silver foil encasing the bread of all breads. I started slowly reaching for it before Saki yanked it back, "hey! Wait for dinner!"

I pulled my hand back and sighed, "anyway, we do have another person for tonight. It's kind of last minute I hope you don't mind."

"Oh yeah? Who? What Middle School do they go to?"

Junko stepped out from behind the corner, "um, hello Saki..."

I've never seen a happier zombie. Granted, after only really knowing Yuugiri made that quite an easy feat. I've never seen her excited. She was always so calm. Saki jumped and rushed past me, wrapping her arms around Junko in a bear hug, "hey! Long time no see! Holy crap!"

I shut the door and sighed before Saki immediately pulled Junko away and towards one of the rooms upstairs, "man! It's been a while!"

I didn't go with. I pulled out my phone and started looking at the comments from the recent stream. My mood sank. Threats, cyber bullying. It ran rampant. For all the people that were fine with zombies that weren't contagious, there was another mass of people who viewed us as monsters. Objects. Animals that needed to be put down. People who wanted me to die again and stay dead.

It's not like I had a choice coming back from the dead.

If I did, I never would have.

I turned off my screen and looked at my reflection. Pale rot looking skin, red eyes, black hair a mess. I shut my eyes. This was never something I thought would happen. I walked into the kitchen and placed the teapot on the stove before digging out the powdered Apple Cider packet from the cabinet and pouring it into a mug.

Millenialism struck as I pulled out the phone once again and opened up the photos from before I came to Japan and died. I smiled as I leaned over the isle in the center, placing my face into my sleeve while holding the phone out. I hadn't tried to reach any of my old friends. They never even reached back. One of them even went online and said I betrayed them all.

I went and opened up Twitter to see another dozen or so new followers before I sent another tweet to the world. People liked it when celebrities asked for pet pics if they said they were depressed.

To be honest. I did like them. It was a few minutes in the replies until a DM shot through.

I froze as I saw the name. My hands started shaking. I opened it and slowly read the message. A private reply to my tweet. One of my old friends.

"Stop being a attention whore. Nobody likes a drama queen. Just shut up and bury yourself six feet under like you are supposed to."

I thought for a moment about replying before exiting out. He had quote tweeted it with "don't enable her". Jerk.

I scrolled through people pics, hitting like on a lot of them. One of them caught my attention. A little dog that looked remarkably like one in a group photo for FranChouChou. I ran to the living room. A small smile cracked on my face as I went and followed the account while walking back to the kitchen. The follow back was swift. Was she even...wait, technically, yes.

Heels came into the kitchen as the water finally started whistling in the teapot. Yuugiri set a few bags on the counter next to me, "where are Lady Saki and Lady Junko?"

"Upstairs. Once Saki got here she ran up with Junko. They haven't come down yet."

"Why aren't you with them? Being anti-social again? Introvert is what I believe you called it."

I stood up, "you are all the ones with history."

"That you don't remember yet."

I scoffed, "or ever will. How was class."

She remained silent for a moment. Her shoulders sagged, "I don't believe I like Atomic Weapons. How was yours?"

I shrugged, "eh."

She shook her head dissaprovingly. I grabbed the mug and walked out as Saki came barreling down the stairs and into the kitchen past me, "Yuugiri!"

Junko seemed a little better but there wasn't much as the way of a smile on her face, "hey."

She jumped for a second, "yes?"

"I'm sorry for all the stuff I did when FranChouChou was around."

She silently nodded and walked past me to the kitchen. I stood for a moment before going up to my room. I googled myself again.

TAE ELIZABETH YAMADA

1997-2016, 2018-Present

A few news articles, the Wikipedia page, one more recent article caught my eye.I quickly clicked on it. It was an Op-Ed from someone I used to collab with. Talking about depression. Unfortunately, I was an example.

"Tae Yamada was a friend of mine. We knew she was not in a good headspace the last few months. Pressure from all sides were closing in on her and everyone was too busy creating expectations of her to see that she needed help. Tae was also too afraid to reach out. The signs were there but we all ignored them. We failed her. Completely. It's one of my deepest regrets was seeing what she did to herself before her death in Tokyo on a trip forced upon her mother who Tae charitably referred to as The Wicked Witch of Nippon. I just wish I could have played more attention. Depression isn't just something that you can save off as someone being attention seeking or dramatic. I hope to reconnect with Tae one day."

I quickly typed in a comment with the public Facebook page I used, "I don't blame you. But if you want to meet up, just message me. I've been waiting for an excuse to get off of Kyushu."

That was sure to stir up some response. Was I just seeking attention? No. But right now I was desperate for one friend that wasn't one who slapped me or charged with making sure I wasn't put in the grave again.

A soft knock rapped on my wooden door. I leaned back, "yeah?"

Junko slowly opened the door, "may I come in?"

I nodded. I thought for sure she would be held up with Saki downstairs. Even Yuugiri. She looked at the three monitor set up and opened her mouth, "what's it like?"

"Being a YouTuber?"

"To interact with fans everyday. I still don't feel very comfortable with it."

I pulled out the spare chair Yuugiri sometimes used when she'd join stream on rare occasion. She walked like she was afraid I was gonna bite her before I closed out of the window. I sighed as she took a seat, "it's not like I'm going out and doing meet and greets and going to conventions these days. To be honest, out in public with fans or while recording...it's like a switch you flip. Putting on a face. Act for the camera. They don't get to know what I don't tell them. You become a different person. A personality really. Once you get used to it, it's not that hard. Sure the facade can break but people generally understand when you need to take a break. I use that time to repair it."

She gazed around my room, one few photos caught her eye, "you cosplayed?"

"Yeah. I actually ended up dying in cosplay actually. My mother insisted if I was going to cosplay I should honor my heritage and be more traditional with what I dressed up as."

She frowned, "that explains the odd things Kotaro had you in. Even the Prisoner like Pajamas."

"The black and white ones?"

"Mhm."

I thought for a second, "oh, I know! He must have known I cosplayed as Puri-Puri Prisoner from One Punch Man a few months before I came to Japan!"

Silence filled the room. She had no idea what I was talking about. I tried to switch the subject in vain, "so, uh, what was FranChouChou like?"

Her head perked up, "what do you mean? Haven't you asked Yuugiri?"

I nodded, "I have but...there was a little girl in town today, it just made me think."

"It was a lot of fun. We made people happy until our secret got exposed. Then without Kotoro, the group fell apart. Lilly's Dad picked her up and she went back into show business. Iron Frill invited Ai back and they took Sakura with her so she could continue living her dream. My old record company forced me to finish my old deal with them. Saki went and started her dealership with someone she knew from Dorami. Then Yuugiri promised to take care of you. I guess you awakened not long after. Nobody really spoke with each other much. Ai, Sakura and I tried but the three of us were all so busy that we never saw much of each other. We didn't get any time together."

Making people happy. Like the little girl from earlier. Her dream was to sing with us. A dream that wasn't ever going to come true at the moment.

"How long are you planning on staying here in Saga?"

"I don't know. Sooner or later I have to go back. Saki said she'd try and talk some sense into my manager for me. Why?"

I swallowed my dignity and pride, "I want to learn a few of the FranChouChou routines and songs."

The older idol was taken aback, "what? Why?"

"I was in town earlier today. A little girl told me it was her dream to sing with FranChouChou. If Sakura can fulfill a dream by being an idol, the least I can do is grant a little girl's wish to perform with one. Can you...help me do that? I know we don't know each other very..."

"Of course I will. I miss FranChouChou. It won't be the same without everyone else but I think just to perform those songs again would be wonderful."

* * *

Saki and Yuugiri were stunned as I did my best to explain the situation to them.

"I just want to be able to sing something with the little girl. Give her something to remember, y'know."

I sat back down before leaning up and taking another piece of garlic bread. It'd be a sin not to eat it all. The table moved a bit as Saki stood up, "screw that."

Junko took a quick breath, Yuugiri seemed puzzled as I slowly met her eyes. The fire in them was not mistaken, as was the look of determination, "you think you and Junko just get to leave us behind? Hell no! In fact, I say we take this as what it is!"

"What do you mean by that?" I asked with hesitation.

She raised a hand in the air with the other on her hip, "what else? We're gonna bring FranChouChou back from the dead!"

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay on this. I had about ten different versions of this chapter but I wanted to go a little more into Tae with the history she has in the story along with trying to subtly answer some of the things brought up in your reviews. Thankfully I was able to get this up before PAX West so yay! Also, with Season 2 of Zombieland Saga announced, I'm not sure if I should just label this as an AU now or not. But anyway, let's check in on the reviews!

Equach: Tae's behavior is gonna be cleared up and I can definitely say I do need to work on spelling and grammar. I'm prob going to type this out on a computer rather than an Amazon Kindle from here on out so I can hit F7 so hopefully there will be less mistakes.

Guest: The world for the story being two years after the reveal really makes me giddy like a small child with legos. Imagination is the limit but I tried to put a little of what I think would happen in it based on how some trends work in the real world. And I am still working on grammar!

JadedBanana: Thank you! I hope I don't let you down!

Demdrops: Please don't eat my brain, I need it to write this story.

ZammieW: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

SonyNinja: I keep coming back to your review cause it makes me smile so much. I am really surprised Awakened Tae isn't everywhere cause it's kind of like a sandbox. I will also say Junko and Tae...it's definitely gonna be fun to write.

Anyway, barring massive amounts of reviews or something I might reply to reviews every 2-3 chapters. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, it was very interesting to write and hopefully I can see you for the next one! Sayonara for now!

\- Jay

Ps: I will be at PAX West 2019 in Seattle, WA on September 1st and 2nd. If you wanna try to meet me there, hit me up on Twitter at HylianJayYT

Edit 8/29/2019: Fixed the Iron Maiden, Iron Frill typo. I was thinking of a different fiction of mine with maiden in the title while writing that sentence. I'm sorry I didn't notice it sooner.


	4. Reformation in SAGA?

The table fell silent immediately following Saki's proclamation. Yuugiri seemed rather indifferent, a glass of wine in her hand. She was after all, the oldest in more ways than one. Junko smiled, "I'd like that. But Lilly, Ai and Sakura..." She began before Saki cut her off.

"We'll get 'em back in time! But the four of us are all we need to start!" She was bright eyed to the point of putting me on the edge of running for my bedroom, "remember when you and Ai sat out the first part of Mezame Returner during the guerilla show we did? You know, the one we sucked at where Lilly fell down and Sakura forgot the words?"

Junko nodded sheepishly, "yes but you had five people there singing."

Realization struck me, "four. I was mindless."

Saki confirmed it, "yeah! We just turned your microphone off cause you kept shoving it inside your mouth!"

I dropped my head to the table, "that's embarrassing."

The Biker continued, "so I'm sure that with the four of us, if we practice, we can get FranChouChou off the ground. Not to mention, the secret is out so we can promote all we want! The only idol group with Zombies."

"Iron Frill still has Sakura and Ai. They exploded in popularity again after they joined up."

"Sounds like a cash grab. Whatever it takes to stay relevant I guess," I slowly sat back up, "but what would we have to work with besides us? Was there a social media page or presence? What kind of funds do we have available? What kind of promotion are we able to do? What's the target audience? What reason is there to be a group? Because if the only thing that we have in common is that we are zombies, that's not very marketable."

"Yes it is! It totally is! We're gonna save Saga and take over all of Japan!" Saki was not having my counter argument.

I leaned back, "international sales and influence is also critical. These days, your audience is not just local but global, just look at the Bangtan Boys. I said I wanted to try and sing with that girl to fulfill her dream. Not immediately get the band back together."

Saki shoved a finger menacingly in my direction, "Aha! So you admit you want to get FranChouChou back together!"

I blinked, "wait, what part of that did I say I wanted to..."

"You used the word immediately meaning you want to eventually get the group back together!"

"You know that's not what I meant. I just...I want to make someone happy for once. Happiness I can see that is not through a screen," my shoulders sagged as I said it. There was always fanart and donations and comments on or of my videos and streams but I never really got to see the joy I put on people's face. Sometimes it feels like I don't create any at all and people just want me to just shut up.

Sure, maybe wanting to sing with that little girl and make her dream come true even once to see her smile is selfish, but I needed to see it. I needed to know if I can make someone truly happy. I needed to know if I was actually worth something to someone.

Yuugiri cleared her throat, "perhaps we could perform this once and then reassess later rather than make a tenured commitment at this moment? We do have other responsibilities."

Junko shifted in her chair, "I...I want to help Tae learn the songs."

I quickly faced her, "wait, you mean..."

"I think if we rush into announcing a comeback, it could backfire. Not to mention I can't be a part of a group until I can get any changes to my recording contract changed," Junko looked sheepish as she gazed downward at her plate, "but I can at least try and help you get up to speed."

Saki waved a hand in the air, "who cares about some stupid recording contract. They don't control every facet of your life. But if Tae is gonna catch up, no way it's gonna be just one of us helping her. It's gonna be all of us."

I shifted in my seat again, "well, I can at least learn the songs from YouTube not to mention I can probably learn some of the cardio from the same videos."

Yuugiri stood up, "either way, I will attempt to aid young Yamada in her efforts. We may not reform right away but I see no harm in helping her fulfill a child's wish."

"I don't want to go back to Tokyo yet either. Is it okay if I stay here?" Junko looked between us.

I shrugged, "I see no problem with it. You may end up in a stream of mine though."

She fidgeted nervously, "I think I'd be okay with that."

Saki jumped, "hey! We can use that as a marketing test!"

I squinted in response, "I'm sorry, I swear I just heard you recommend hijacking my brand without my consent?"

"Look, if people see the two of you and Yuugiri, it could build the hype of a FranChouChou Revival!" Saki beamed, twisting my own words against me again. She was persistent.

"I have a feeling you aren't gonna take no for an answer."

"Damn right I ain't! Who says the dead can't rise again! We are gonna bring FranChouChou back!"

* * *

I was still up in the middle of the night as I watched through old performances of FranChouChou on the TV in the living room of the building after Saki left and Yuugiri went to bed. Junko had fallen asleep hours ago and was snoring on my shoulder softly. A lot of the movements seemed simple enough but synchronization seemed to be an issue. I clicked the TV off. It was odd. Part of me felt like I knew these routines, muscle memory probably played a role in that.

Being an idol never figured to me much when I was young. Sure I could sing a bit and dance but I never thought about doing it in a group but I guess now I had technically done that already now. I looked over at the pop star asleep on my shoulder and snorted. She insisted to stay up with me. I rolled my eyes with a smile as I slowly picked her up bridal style and began to make my way to the guest bedrooms.

Getting the door open with my hands occupied by a sleeping fellow zombie was a challenge as I eventually managed to turn the door handle with my toes. I set her down on the bed and gently placed the blankets over her and quietly stepped out of the room. She seemed to have needed a break from what I heard.

I walked to my room when I my phone dinged. A Twitter DM?

I opened it up and read it quickly before messaging back.

"Yeah she is here but don't tell anyone. She needs a break."

A thumbs up came seconds later. I clicked the screen off and exhaled. Life had become a little less dull the past few days. I was glad. I could use a change. My mind wandered back to that little girl. Hopefully I could see her again at the park.

I shut my door and sat down at my desk and searched more videos. Maybe it was time for my life to have its own Revival.

_**To be continued**_

**Author's note: **I am so sorry this is so short for how long you all had to wait but I wanted to at least get out if the dinner part before the new year and give a little more Tae and Junko interaction for you all. I do plan on continuing this and I hope I can eventually update more frequently. I've just been distracted a lit lately with stuff going on and my newfound addiction to Webtoon. I also hope to improve my writing and try to flush out more of the story cause I have a few ideas for stuff that's down the line but I am gonna be winging it for the next few chapters but in the spirit of the holidays if I cant get another chapter out by Christmas, I will have a Q&A chapter for my readers here! As always, you can follow me on twitter at HylianJayYY. Discord link is pinned for easy access and if you have a question for the Q&A be sure to leave it in a review so I can remember it! -Jay


	5. Training in SAGA

**Author's Acknowledgement: SO...here we are again, months after I was supposed to update and the **_**Revival: Christmas Special **_**was never posted. Well shiz. Guess I let you all down huh? Sorry if the ending of the last chapter felt weird to you but it did for me as well. Anyway, I am back and at it with a chapter 5 that, and I will admit, **_**am full on gonna wing this one a bit.**_ **It could be fun, right? Also, I had one question I wanted to address that was left in a review:**

_**Q: Glad to see you're writing again and will they help their old manager out of jail? -Demdrops**_

**Well...**

_**A: Not sure how to answer this one other than I have plans for Kotoro Tatsumi… **_

**Anyway, on with Chapter 5! -Jay**

* * *

I flopped onto the hardwood floor with a towel on my forehead, "alright, you can put me back in the grave now."

Every joint in my dead body ached with pain. Three straight hours of practice and I had only a song and a half down. Junko handed me a bottle of water as I muttered a quick thank you. Saki turned off the music, "y'know, for nor remembering FranChouChou, you are picking it up really quick. Maybe Zombie's muscle memory remembers stuff faster!"

I tilted my head up at Saki, "oh yeah? Well my muscle memory is trained for a video game controller right now. Not undead breakdancing!"

The Biker placed her hands on her hips with a cracked grin, "either way at this rate it should only be a few more days before you get caught up and then it's just a refresher for Yuugiri and we're good to go!"

"She still has to learn vocal Saki," Junko added as I set my head back down and placed the bottle to my lips before she continued, "there are only four of us so we need to redistribute all of them too."

"Damn, I forgot about that. Hey, do you think you could get Sakura and Ai to quit Iron Frill?" she raised a finger in the air.

Junko shook her head, "no, they are on tour right now. Besides, their social media manager is the one who chooses what they see. I couldn't reach her if I tried."

"Okay, what about the Squirt?"

I closed my eyes, "Squirt...that's Lilly, right?"

Saki gave a thumbs up with glee, "yup, that's her alright! Any chance you could get in touch with her Junko?"

The older idol shook her head, "I haven't spoken with her much either. I think it may be just the four of us?"

I exhaled and pulled out my phone and opened up my DM's and sent a quick message. No immediate response. She might be filming. It's not like it would harm them if they didn't know about Lilly sending me the pic of the Zombie Dog now, would it? We hadn't really talked to each other much over social media.

Looking back on it, life was sure upended the past few weeks. Well, from my normal zombie life. Years ago I would have laughed at that idea. Yet here I was, brought back from the dead and training to be an idol for a second time? I guess I should be saying afterlife.

I zoned out for a few moments and started scrolling through my feed to see an ad pop up that piqued my passing interest. I looked upwards to see Saki and Junko standing over me talking to each other but I could hardly translate fast enough, "hey, what's Saga Rock?"

The two immediately stopped before Saki lit up, "hey! That ain't a bad idea!"

Junko clapped her hands, "but we don't have a manager to book us."

I frowned, "why do I feel like I missed at least half of this conversation?"

The Biker rolled her shoulders back and held her hands out, "jeez, pay attention would ya? I was talkin' about how we surprise that girl and announce our comeback to all of Japan!"

"Okay I feel like this pacing has to slow down. You are losing me here."

She crouched down, "did those video games fry that brain of yours too?"

Junko held her hands tight against her chest, "Tae did say she wanted to just make her happy not go into a full blown comeback."

"Look, the way I see it, it can be a one-time special performance. That way we can test the waters on if people still want us back, then we can see how fiscally responsible it is and how profitable it would be to return in full. There."

"That sounds more like a plan for a business than a plan for an idol group."

Saki smiled again, "I run a biker dealership, I think I can handle being our manager. Besides, Tae can handle our social media!"

I closed my eyes, "you just aren't gonna stop, are you?"

"Nope! Besides, it's not like we aren't well known in these parts! I'm sure we can make it! After Saga Rock, you'll see! Now get back up, we still have more choreography to learn."

"Can't we take a break? I feel like my arms are going to fall off again."

The biker laughed, the sound of it echoing around the room, "Shades once said he can't work us to death, so get your butt up and quit complaining."

"Perhaps we should get some Saganship Z?"

The two of us looked at Junko, "some what now?"

Her laugh scared me.

* * *

I trudged through the house to the living room like a stereotypical zombie. I needed G-Fuel or something. Even those little icy-hot doohickies only helped for a small amount of time.

"Oh zombie skin absorbs stuff faster my ass! I guess it gets rid of it too."

"Quit complaining! I don't know why it didn't last as long this time. Used to work wonders for you, no idea why it changed," Saki crossed her arms as she stood by the door, ready to leave for the night.

I frowned, "you also said I was physically active when I was brain dead but I've mostly played video games in a chair the last two years and not dance like a monkey. Are you telling me that I have to get my rotting flesh somehow back in shape? I'm dead, I think that's impossible."

"We are zombies. This is completely new territory for anyone. But it is possible."

"If I want to lose weight I can just throw my arm across the room for a bit, this is completely unfair!"

Saki smirked, "hey, this was your idea."

I gritted my teeth, "for like one song or two, not a whole stage set, are you nuts!? You never listen to anyone but yourself, just like the performance in that senior center!"

I blinked as a few flashes came into my mind. A...rap battle?

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


End file.
